Cage with intercommunicating modular compartments

ABSTRACT

Cage ( 10 ) with intercommunicating modular compartments, for example for small domestic rodents, comprising a first compartment ( 11 ) provided with an aperture ( 12 ) which can be closed by a cover ( 13 ), wherein the first compartment comprises at least a further opening or passage ( 15 ) suited to allow the communication of the first compartment with at least a further compartment ( 14 ) joined to the first compartment ( 11 ).

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a cage with intercommunicating modularcompartments, in particular but not exclusively for small domesticrodents such as hamsters, squirrels and mice.

More particularly, the present invention refers to a cage withintercommunicating modular compartments and transparent walls, suited tohost small animals such as rodents and provided of optional componentsto render it more comfortable as possible for the animals hostedtherein.

BACKGROUND ART

It is known that small domestic rodents are usually hosted inside cagesprovided with at least one transparent wall which allows the observationof their particularly amazing movements, when the cage is provided withoptional components such as slides, small staircases, wheels or whateverelse could the animal need to perform physical activity.

The cage also comprises dispensers for food and water, as well asresting areas where to leave the small rodent during the whole day withthe exception of the few moments required for the regular cleaning andmaintenance.

At present, cages for small domestic rodents are made in a single blockand with variable dimensions in relation to the number and the size ofthe animals to be hosted.

Cages are usually provided of large apertures to allow an easyextraction or insertion of the animals as well as their efficientcleaning.

Usually such apertures are closed by means of covers provided withopenings or slits for the aeration of the inner part of the cage.

A drawback is constituted by the fact that small cages are not modularand need to be changed with larger ones when it is desired to increasethe number of the animals.

Another drawback is constituted by the fact that cages of largedimensions are not always really appropriate to the domestic room inwhich they should be included and further, they can hardly be moved ordisplaced due to their large encumbrance.

A further drawback of the cages with higher capacity relates to the factthat they are difficult to clean, being divided in several portions orcompartments with fixed walls which are in same cases quite difficult tobe reached from the outside.

Document EP-A-0744122 discloses an animal rearing cage and a frameworkto which a plurality of side plates for together forming the peripheryof the animal rearing cage are detachably attached.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,566 discloses a cage including two or moremovable walls that can restrain an animal in two or more dimensions. thecage includes telescopic or movable planar surfaces, one preventing ananimal's lateral movement, and another preventing vertical movement.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,901 discloses a containment system foranimal microbiological isolation containment including a plurality oftwo room suites combined into two suite containment units, selectivelyseparable adjoining exercise runs for individual and group isolation,the suites being constructed of transparent, glass panels and andsatinless steel.

Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,177 discloses an animal confining andhousing device having a wheel supported carriage with a plurality of twosets of vertically spaced and parallel guide members thereon.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide a cage with intercommunicatingmodular compartments, in particular for small domestic rodents, thatsets aside or significantly reduces the previously remarked drawbacks.

Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a cage with modularcompartments that can be assembled as preferred, according to theoverall desired dimensions and so obtained by means of subsequentlyjoined elements without the need to eliminate the previously purchasedparts.

Another aim of the present invention is to provide a cage with modularcompartments featuring several alternative pathways for the smallrodents hosted therein.

This is achieved by a cage with modular intercommunicating compartments,in particular for small domestic rodents, having the features disclosedin the main claim.

The dependent claims outline particularly advantageous forms ofembodiment of the invention.

The cage with modular intercommunicating compartments for small domesticrodents, according to the invention, comprises at least one compartmenthaving an aperture that can be closed by a cover, and a further openingwhich corresponds, when two compartments are joined to each other, tothe opening of at least a further compartment having as well at least afurther aperture leading to another respective compartment.

According to the invention each compartment is externally provided withmeans for temporary fastening said compartment to adjacentcompartment/compartments.

According to an advantageous form of embodiment, the cover of the firstcompartment is placed on the upper portion thereof and comprises a gridthat can be joined to a longitudinal end of said compartment.

Each compartment comprises aeration holes to allow an adequate aircirculation inside the cage.

All the walls of the cage, or most of them, are transparent to allow themovements of the small rodents hosted inside to be readily watched to.

According to an advantageous form of embodiment of the invention, eachcompartment comprises at least a wall that is completely removable toensure an easy cleaning of its inside.

The temporary fastening means between the compartments can be realizedwith guides realised on particular edges of a compartment, suitable forreceiving some corresponding retaining strips that are present onconjugated edges of adjacent compartments.

The modular cage according to the present invention shows a greatadvantage in respect of the known solutions, particularly in whatconcerns the vertical superimposition of the different modules.

Indeed, it is possible to superimpose to each other several modules and,in this way, to obtain a cage of large dimensions but with a relativelysmall base.

This is particularly important in certain situations, such as forexample in rooms for children, where the child can stay in front of thecage that acts as a maxi-screen to watch the movements of the smallanimals, usually rodents, hosted inside.

ILLUSTRATION OF DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the invention will become evident onreading the following description of one embodiment of the invention,given as a non-binding and non-limiting example, with the help of theenclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a cage according to theinvention, where the front compartment has been highlighted;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of two superimposed backcompartments of the cage according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view of a cage according to theinvention, where some alternative pathways inside the superimposed backcompartments have been highlighted.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE FORM OF EMBODIMENT

In the figures, reference number 10 generally indicates a cage for smalldomestic rodents, in particular a cage with intercommunicating modularcompartments.

According to this form of embodiment, cage 10 comprises a frontcompartment 11 having an external prismatic configuration and providedof an aperture involving its whole upper portion.

The aperture 12 is closed by a cover, which can be constituted by a grid13 placed on the side borders of the aperture 12 and fixed theretothrough any suitable temporary fastening means.

According to the form of embodiment shown in FIG. 1, grid 13 is joinedto the front compartment 11 by means of a couple of guides 33, 34 whichthe side borders of the grid are inserted in, and by a protuberance 35suited to block the front portion of the same grid.

The grid 13 can be provided of a cover 36 hinged to the wiresconsituting the grid itself.

A second compartment 14 can be coupled to a side wall of the frontcompartment 11; the compartments 11, 14 are in mutual communication bymeans of an opening 15 provided on both the compartments 11, 14.

The second compartment 14 has at least a further opening 16 leading to athird compartment 17 superimposed to the same compartment 14, and whichcomprises a corresponding opening.

The walls of the third compartment 17 are provided of further openingsor passages, thereby allowing a communication with other possiblecompartments in order to obtain a modular cage 10.

Each compartment 14 or 17 comprises several holes (not shown in thefigures) for the aeration of the inner part of said compartment.

Referring to FIG. 3, it can be noted that each compartment 14, 17comprises some shaped shelves 20, 20′ . . . which define a pathway forthe pets inside the same compartment 14 or 17, as well as lodgings forsaid animals.

The shaped shelves 20, 20′ . . . allow the pets to move inside thecompartments 14, 17, thereby reaching the connecting openings leading tothe other compartments and running through the whole modular cage 10.

Besides the shaped shelves 20, 20′ . . . the inner part of eachcompartment can comprise some optional components suited to the feedingof the small rodents, for example a drinking trough, a smallfodder-trough, a mobile cylinder suitable to be moved by the animals forthe maintenance of their physical shape.

According to the invention, each compartment 11, 14, 17, can betemporarily fastened to an adjacent compartment by means of a devicewith guides and strips.

For example, compartment 11 can have a reinforced edge comprising a sidechannel and a lower channel, each one running along the entirelongitudinal extent of the same compartment 11 and suitable forreceiving a conjugated strip of an adjacent compartment 14.

The side section of the channels as well as that one of the strips canbe T-shaped in order to assure a good reciprocal connection of thecompartments 11, 14, 17.

Turning now to FIG. 2, it is possible to see that at least a wall 28 ofa compartment 14, 17 can be temporarily removed to allow the cleaningoperations inside the same compartment 14, 17 to be carried out. Inorder to allow such removal, the frame of each compartment 14, 17comprises guides 29, 29′ suited to slidably receive the correspondinglongitudinal edges of the wall 28.

Furthermore, such configuration can also be provided for the back walls30, which may further comprise a series of aeration holes ormicro-holes; moreover, according to a particularly advantageous form ofembodiment, said back walls can be provided of a particular graphicarrangement, for example a drawing or a picture, to provide the cagewith a particularly appealing background.

A sequence of holes or guides for fastening of any possible optionalcomponents of different nature can further be provided on any wall ofthe cage.

According to a further form of embodiment of the invention, the cage canbe provided with a panel having the same dimensions as the wall 30,which can be advantageously personalized, from a graphic viewpoint, bythe final user.

The cage 10 with intercommunicating modular compartments can have allits visible surfaces made of a transparent shock-resistant material,such as a composite plastic material.

Each opening 15, 16 can be contoured by a respective gasket (not shownin the drawings) suited to avoid the permeating of impurities ordirtiness that could stick between a compartment 11, 14, 17 and anadjacent one.

The invention has previously been described with reference to aparticularly advantageously form of embodiment thereof.

However it is clear that the present invention includes several variantsfalling within the scope of the present invention.

For instance, the particular shape of the several compartmentsrepresented in the drawings is clearly not a limitation of theinvention.

Furthermore, the fastening means employed to connect the severalcompartments to each other can be of different nature and easilydesigned by a skilled man in the art, having the simple function ofkeeping the compartments connected together in a possibly releasablefashion.

1. A cage for small pets comprising a first front compartment (11) witha box-like prismatic shape, having a bottom portion, a front wall andtwo side walls made of molded plastics, whereby the upper portion ofsaid first compartment is open and includes a pair of side channels (33,34) acting as guides for the insertion of a cover (13) for closing saidupper portion and which has a door (36) through which the animals can beinserted into the cage and withdrawn therefrom, whereby the rear wall ofsaid first compartment is mounted on guides, running along the verticalrear edges of said side walls, and it can be completely removed from thefirst compartment so as to provide an easy access to the inner part ofsaid front compartment, wherein: the rear wall of said first compartmentincludes an aperture (15); the cage comprises a second compartment (14)that is constituted by a plastic box having the same width as the rearwall of the first compartment (11), and which comprises a bottom portionand four uprights positioned at the four corners of the box, wherebysaid uprights are constituted by respective guides housing the edges ofside walls of said plastic box; and one of these side walls has anaperture (15) which, when the second compartment (14) is placed againstthe rear wall of said first compartment (11), is aligned to the aperture(15) that is provided in said rear wall.
 2. Cage according to claim 1,wherein the cover of said second compartment (14) includes an aperture(16).
 3. Cage according to claim 2, wherein it comprises a thirdcompartment (17) that is constituted by a plastic box having the samewidth as the width of said second compartment (14), and which comprisesa bottom portion and four uprights positioned at the four corners of thebox, whereby said uprights are constituted by respective guides housingthe edges of side walls of said plastic box, whereby the bottom portionof said third compartment (17) has an aperture (16) that, when the thirdcompartment (17) is superimposed to said second compartment (14), isaligned to the aperture included in the cover of said secondcompartement (14).
 4. Cage (10) according to claim 1, wherein eachcompartment is provided of means for temporary fastening saidcompartment to other compartment/compartments.
 5. Cage (10) according toclaim 1, wherein said cover of said first compartment (11) is a grid(13).
 6. Cage (10) according to claim 1, wherein at least a compartmentcomprises aeration holes to allow an adequate air circulation insidesaid cage (10).
 7. Cage (10) according to claim 1, wherein it hastransparent walls.
 8. Cage (10) according to claim 1, wherein eachaperture (15, 16) is contoured by a respective gasket.
 9. Cage (10)according to claim 1, wherein each compartment (11, 14, 17) internallycomprises mobile or fixed optional components.
 10. Cage according toclaim 1, wherein at least one of the removable walls is provided with abackground image.
 11. Cage according to claim 1, wherein the walls ofthe different compartments are provided of holes or guides for fasteningof accessories of different nature.